A Not So Blue Christmas
by Gemini Sister
Summary: Surviving a Christmas with the Weasley's was always going to be hard for Hermione Granger. Now she resides in the Muggle world, going back is made doubly hard as she is taking along a male guest. Will she manage to survive the wrath of Molly? Written for the Melting Pot! The Have Yourself a Merry Little Exchange! Held at aO3 and via their face book page December 2018.


Hermione forced a smile as she wished each of her students, "Happy Christmas," as they excitedly exited her classroom. It was the last day of term and the children had been fidgeting all day, restless with excitement at the upcoming holidays. Hermione had made the last few hours of their classroom imprisonment as much fun as she could. They played games, pop quizzes and sang some of their favourite songs. When the bell had rung for the last time that day, both students and teacher were glad of it.

Working in a Muggle school had been her choice. She had declined Ron's proposal to go out and an offer of work from the Ministry of Magic. She felt she needed a breather from the magical world.

In doing so, she had reluctantly had to decide where her priorities lay. She decided she wanted to teach and never regretted her decision. Headmistress McGonagall, had given her a letter of reference and pointed her in the right direction. Three years down the line, she had her own classroom filled with 10 and 11 year olds. She lived just outside Inverness and taught at a three teacher school. It was manic most days but she loved it.

The parents evening had passed with success, as had the Christmas concert and the three separate Christmas parties for each class. All of the organising, supervising and adulting had taken their toll and Hermione was exhausted.

She yawned, as she tidied up the clutter that lay strewn around her classroom. She was so tired she used her magic to make the clear up go faster. She had broken one of her own rules, not to undertake magic at school. She knew she was the last to leave as her class were the oldest and the younger students had left half an hour earlier. She picked up her bag, yes, this one had an extendable charm, but was much larger on the outside compared to her old beaded bag. She waved to Hillary the school caretaker, cleaner, dinner lady. She was a gem of a person and worth her weight in gold. All the gifts for staff had been swapped over their lunch break.

"Get away hame lassie, yeah look dead on yer feet!" Hills waved as she watched the weary teacher head for the exit.

"Thanks Hills, Happy Christmas!" Hermione responded with a wave of her hand.

Hills watched the young teacher leave. She squinted after her, she was sure Miss Granger had a large package to carry home? Hills shook her head and smiled, perhaps that handsome chap out in the playground was carrying it for her. She smiled and got on with her cleaning the school. The sooner she got done the quicker she'd be able to lock up and go home.

Hermione sighed, she wished she could afford a car, but with moving back into the Muggle world, buying a house as well as its costs had strapped her for cash. She only could afford a push bike. She would have flown home if she had enjoyed flying on a broom but knew she'd get sick two feet off the ground. She was fortunate as her house was within a mile of the school.

As she stepped into the playground she sighed. It had snowed again, she was thankful for her thick socks and sensible shoes that would not allow her to slip. She smiled, that new product from George that you sprayed onto soles of shoes, to stop them sliding on ice or snow was perfect. She even had seen something similar for sale in the Muggle world this winter and had a suspicion but daren't not voice it. She was glad George was doing better. The whole family still felt the loss of Fred and she doubted if that feeling would ever completely dissipate.

As she crossed the snowy ground, she smiled as she saw the many footprints and slides made by the children. Even if it was cold outside they could always make up some games and have fun. She smiled and then gasped as a snowball hit her on the head.

"What the..." She started looking around to see who would have dared to hurl a snowball at her.

She could see noone. She set off again but with a scowl. THWACK THWACK! THWACK! Three snowballs hit her back in quick succession. She turned, her face scowling with anger, until she saw the man leaning up against the blue police box, on the other side of the black metal railings.

"You!" She called out, stalking towards him. He had a snowball in both hands but dropped them swiftly to the ground at her approach.

"Yes," he squeaked as he adjusted his bow-tie with a hand and plastered on a smile.

"What on earth are you doing here?" She moved in on him.

He gulped hard and looked at his watch. "I am sure it is the right time." He frowned, he took an object from his pocket, it whirled and buzzed, he stared at it hard, looked up and added, "Yes, it is the right time." He began to doubt himself. "Isn't it the right time then?" His fringe fell across his eyes and he flicked it back with his hand.

"I," poke, "waited," poke, "for," poke, "you," poke, "for," poke, "ages".

She stood eye to eye with him and tilted her head to one side, "Where were you?" She waited for his reply.

He scratched the back of his neck looked around everywhere apart from directly at her and coughed. "Sorry, perhaps my watch was slow?"

"Six months slow, you silly man!" She shrieked.

He winced and crinkled up his eyes closed.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry. I'm here now!" He beamed and looked at her with his puppy dog eyes that usually had his companions drooling and backing off. But this time it didn't work.

The snow began to fall in earnest. Hermione shivered and knew not to cast any warming charms with this man nearby. She had encountered him in the summer holidays as his blue box had got stuck in the sand on a lonely beach in the Outer Hebrides. The exact same beach that Hermione had been watching the birdlife, from a cliff top, on a damp day. She had helped him get his box free. He had used his jiggery pokery and she had when he was away had used some magic.

"Come on inside," he suggested wiping the snow off of his jacket and shaking his head like a lunatic. She could not but suppress a laugh. He retreated to the door of his blue box and opened the door and waved her inside. She had been in his box before. She had never felt he was a wizard but knew he was something but not exactly what. He had never explained and he had never asked of her either.

"Where too?" He asked as she moved inside and took a seat on a swivel chair near the main console of his TARDIS.

"I need a cup of tea, a hot bath and a weeks rest before I head to the Weasleys for Christmas." She sighed and leaned back in the chair exhausted. "Christmas is in two days and I still have all my Christmas shopping to do and not enough time to do it!"

"Right you are sweetie. Here we go!"

The Doctor jumped with glee up towards the console and twisted a few nobs, spun a fly wheel and then yanked on some levers. Hermione heard the sound of the TARDIS as she moved off into time and space. She laughed as she caught the Doctor's eye.

One week later she exited the blue box beaming as he landed in her back garden. The snow was still falling and he reassured her that this time, his timekeeping was accurate. To her surprise, he was correct.

"Doctor," she called after him as he returned to the inside of his ship, "John-" She frowned , afraid he would go without saying goodbye. He popped his head back out and grinned.

"I've not forgot," he said as he wiggled his sonic screwdriver back and forth, "I did promise to return to this exact same spot in two days. See you in a jiffy!"

"You said you'd see me in a jiffy?" Hermione scowled at him. You are hours late." Hermione had been ready to go to the Magical world for over three hours. She had put off apparating, thinking the man would be here in a moment. She was now late, very late and she would have missed Molly's christmas dinner. She was starving as she only had had a mince pie and a cuppa since breakfast.

The Doctor caught the woman's arm and hauled her into his TARDIS, ran to his console and shoved a lever down then back up again. He jumped back down and landed feet first in front of her.

"There - not late now," he smirked as he opened the door , it was still snowing. Hermione huffed.

"What or should I ask, when are we?"

"Ah," John said as he checked his watch, tapped it a few times and smirked. "A bit early than you were a few moments ago." He knew that this woman was different and thrust his hands into his pockets and owned up. "You are now three hours early? Will that do?"

She laughed. He had landed outside her school. She took his arm and announced. "Leave your TARDIS here. I want to take you to a place and meet a family I love. It is different and perhaps a bit strange for even you. Do you trust me?"

The Doctor stared into this woman's eyes, he still had hold of her hand and felt the world rotate and then shift slightly. She was a curiosity to him when they had first met but never asked her outright, what she was exactly. He had his suspicions but never voiced them. He gave her hand a slight squeeze and smiled. "I trust you, Hermione Jean Granger."

She let loose a gasp, a pleasurable sigh, his hand felt warm, solid and so far he had been trustworthy. He was different from other humans, she had figured that out when they first met. She wanted to give him a day that he may never forget. She leaned in and pressed a kiss to his lips. She beamed when he smiled through her kiss.

"Trust me," she said, taking him further outside and walking behind the school, out of sight of windows and anyone passing by.

"Not the bike sheds Miss Granger?" He said with a saucy smirk.

"No!" She replied hastily in a shriek and blushed. She wrapped her arms around him and told him to hang on. He did, their bodies fitting together remarkably well. The Doctor was in the middle of an eyebrow wiggle, when he felt the strangest and most wonderful thing happen to him.

Hermione landed them outside of the burrow, in a field next to the path that led up to the main entrance of the Weasley home. She could hear shrieks coming from the rear of the property. She chuckled, she knew that on Christmas morning, the Weasley children, loved nothing better than a snowball fight. If it had not snowed they created a drift of their own to have fun.

"Your John Smith to them all, right?" Hermione said as she saw the glazed look on the Doctor's face.

"Oh wow, this is fantastic!" He leaned forward and kissed Hermione soundly. "Do you know how many times I have tried to get here?"

"What?" She said after the kiss had ended.

"Here, right here, on this ground. I have been here before, not exactly with this face, but I know this family!"

"The Weasley's ?"

A loud hail came from the house. Arthur popped his head out. "Hello, Happy Christmas, come on in out of the cold." He smiled broadly at Hermione's guest and ushered them through the door. He kissed Hermione and then shook John Smith's hand enthusiastically.

"Hermione!" Greeted Molly, running towards them, her hair all a mess, flour on her face and her bright apron askew. "Oh, I am so pleased you came, is this your..."

"Friend, yes, this is John Smith."

Molly kissed them both and the Doctor smiled broadly. "Still ginger I see, I always wanted to be ginger." He said with a long sigh, then turned abruptly and pounced on Arthur. "Do you still have that super shed of yours, we did some tinkering on a massive scale the last time I was here." John said beaming up at Arthur who looked nonplussed.

"Shed, yes...did you say your name was John Smith?" The Doctor nodded enthusiastically, hoping Arthur would remember without more prompting. "I do remember a John Smith, he was from the north, tall lanky chap in a leather jacket."

"Yes, yes, yes, that was me!"

Arthur shook his head, smiled, then grabbed the doctor in a bear hug. "You changed your face, you did say you might do that."

Hermione looked at the pair of men as they began to jabber about gear sticks, manifolds and something called a sprocket. Molly thankfully tugged her away, leaving the men to their chatter.

"You are early, perhaps you can help me in the kitchen?" I don't think Ginny and the boys heard you arrive. Bill and Charlie are running late. As for Percy,". She sighed, "he said he was working but may make it later in the day."

A snowball hit the kitchen window and Molly shrieked her annoyance. Hermione smiled, nothing had changed that much after all.

"So, how long have you known John Smith?" Molly teased, giving her a dunt in the ribs with an elbow. "we met him a few years back, before the war. He as he said had a different face, but he and Arthur got on like a Castle on Fire. He helped Arthur to get that Ford Anglia to fly." She shook her head and chuckled. She passed Hermione a knife and asked her to help peel potatoes. "I know you like to do it the Muggle way dear, actually, I think the roasties taste better being Muggle peeled."

Hermione blushed, she was unsure how much to tell. "I met him in the Summer while on holiday, then he turned up a few days ago at school. ".

"Oh, that is so sweet, he obviously likes you?" Molly stopped the basting of her turkey with her magic, looked at Hermione and her bright red cheeks. She thought the witch quieter than usual. She knew why so decided to put matters right.

"I know why you did not wish to go out with Ronald." Molly smiled, stepping closer to Hermione. "Yes, it would have been nice, if you two had got together, but even I knew he had the hots for that Lavender girl while you were in school. You were his friend, a best friend and I hope you will always be there for him. You may have gone out with him if I had forced your hand." Molly saw the look of dread on Hermione's face and reassured her. "I know, I know, I can be an overbearing mother at times and want everything to be perfect for my children. I realised with the war, that sometimes everything is not as clear as we sometimes want. I am happy for you, if this is the man for you Hermione then I am very happy for you both and you are always welcome here. With or without a boyfriend in tow."

Hermione dropped the knife she had been gripping tightly and hugged Molly to her. She was relieved that Molly did not hate her or detest anyone she brought to the Burrow. "Thanks Molly, that really means a lot to me. For the moment, John is a friend, nothing more."

Another snowball pelted the window pane and Molly shrieked once again.

"I think I better head outside and hit a few of the boys, I bet Ginny could do with a hand." Hermione had not taken off her jacket but. Removed the gloves from her pocket and put them on. At that moment John Smith appeared and with bright eyes enquired. "Did I hear that you are about to defend a lady in distress? Then I am sure my aim and mathematical skills may come in handy to target her aggressors?"

Molly watched from the window, shortly joined by Arthur. The fight had got going again as the Doctor and Hermione, joined Ginny in her bolt hole, surrounded by snowballs. Soon more balls were being fired and the boys were in full retreat. Harry, Ron and George, were scurrying for cover.

"I'm glad Hermione has got someone to celebrate with this year Arthur." Molly said leaning into her husband. Arthur's arms came around his wife and hugged her tight to him.

"That lass, deserves some fun. I'm sure John will look after her." Molly nodded. l She remembered the tall weary man who had landed on their doorstep, the Christmas before Ron went to Hogwarts. The man had been drawn, thin and war weary. Molly and Arthur had given him a home for a few months. Arthur had the man's blue box hidden in his shed, how the Doctor had laughed when he saw that the shed was bigger on the inside.

The Weasley family had a real celebration with Hermione and John. Two of their friends, they thought lost to them had returned home. When Molly saw John take Hermione's hand and lead her over to the magical mistletoe, she held her breath. Hermione was glowing as was John, whether it was from the Fire Whiskey, no one knew but when Molly witnessed the tenderest of kisses, she wept a few tears of joy. It looked like Hermione had found a man who mattered to her. He would be a joy to welcome into their family.

Hermione could not help but return Johns' kiss. She was aware that probably many weasley eyes were upon her but she did not care. This was the happiest she had been in a long time. John had made her laugh, made her feel special and understood her. He had already shown her a few scars of his own and shared a few secrets.

They walked hand in hand back through the snow after they had made their fond farewells to the Weasley family. It was late, the moon was out and the snow crisp under their feet. They stood looking up at the sky.

"Beautiful," Hermione said staring up at the sky.

"Beautiful," John repeated as he stared at the woman in front of him. This witch was a remarkable woman and she had agreed to go travelling with him in his blue box. She had asked to be back for the beginning of the new year when the school starts. He promised, with his fingers crossed behind his back. Little did he know but she had her fingers crossed as well.

With arms wrapped around each other they apparated away.

END.


End file.
